US turns blind eye; says US-Palestinian after Israeli killing of son
4 Min Read
The mayor of Turmus Ayya, Lafi Shalabi, told AFP that three teens were hit with live fire while picking green almonds.
-
Relatives mourn over the body of 14-year-old Palestinian-American Amer Rabee during his funeral in Turmus Ayya, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. (AFP)
Muhammad Rabee, an American-Palestinian, told AFP on Monday that he feels abandoned by the United States, one day after Israeli soldiers murdered his 14-year-old son during a family visit in the occupied West Bank.
Rabee's family lives in New Jersey and, like the great majority of Palestinians from the West Bank village of Turmus Ayya, holds dual citizenship. The grieving father accused Washington of turning "a blind eye" to escalating Israeli attacks and abuses against them.
Rabee carried his son Amer's body, draped in a Palestinian flag, through the streets of Turmus Ayya, as dozens of people came out to pay their final respects.
According to an AFP journalist, some people were waving flags and chanting slogans as the funeral procession marched from the local morgue to a mosque and then to the cemetery.
Rabee said he had a message for US President Donald Trump following the attack that killed his son and wounded two other teens, saying the president must "stop this situation, stop sending weapons" to "Israel", which are subsequently used "to kill his people," referring to American citizens such as himself.
The mayor of Turmus Ayya, Lafi Shalabi, told AFP that the three youngsters were hit with live fire while picking green almonds.
One of the two injured, both 14, is also a US citizen, he added. But the Israeli military accuses them of throwing rocks at cars on the route.
He contends that the claim "is not accurate" as the footage the IOF released did not show that his son threw rocks. "There were six bullets in his body, two in his heart, two in his shoulder, and two in his face," according to the father.
US embassy always adopts Israeli version of events
Rabee contends that in previous attacks around Turmus Ayya, the US embassy has typically accepted the Israeli version of events, despite evidence indicating violence from Israeli settlers under army cover, including "assaults, killings, arson, and theft of Palestinian land."
"All of these things -- the US embassy turns a blind eye to them," he expressed.
Majdi Arif, a retired teacher who resided in New Jersey for two decades, said their complaints are frequently unaddressed, telling AFP the US embassy "does nothing" or refers incidents to the Israeli occupation government, "which is useless to us."
Turmus Ayya lies near the Israeli Shilo settlement, whose people, according to Shalabi, have been complicit in attacks against the Palestinian village.
The Palestinian Health Ministry and Mayor Shalabi also confirmed that an Israeli settler was present with the soldiers at the time of the killing.
Palestinian-Americans in Turmus Ayya, the forgotten citizens
Yaser Alkam, director of Turmus Ayya's international affairs department, stated that "Palestinian-Americans in Turmus Ayya are simply disappointed... we are the forgotten citizens" of the United States.
"We've reached out to the US embassy many times," he claimed, to no effect.
"Turmus Ayya is made up of 80 percent Americans," Alkam noted, explaining how "when an Israeli soldier shoots at... young children, there is an 80 percent chance he's hitting an American."
Alkam, who lived in California for 25 years, condemned daily Israeli army incursions into the village "for no reason," which sometimes develop quickly and become lethal for Palestinians, especially youngsters who are routinely shot for allegedly throwing rocks.
He warned that Trump's "unconditional support" for Israeli leadership will result in "more violence with impunity" against Palestinians.
"Whether it's the Israeli army, settlers, or police -- the entire Palestinian people are being targeted."
